Sorted by date Results 1 - 11 of 11
Augustine is credited with the expression “Solvitur ambulando” which means, “It is solved by walking”. Whenever I hear that, I wonder, what is solved? Perhaps many things. The apostle John wrote, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus walked.” (1 John 2:6). Jesus was a pedestrian. In the Bible, it’s less common to find him preaching in the Temple than it is walking. He walked out into the desert to be tempted. As he walked by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers. “Come and follow me,” he said. He even walked on water. It was whi...
“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) The Message paraphrases that verse this way – “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” My wife and I recently watched a documentary on the life of Fanny...
“This is the day the Lord has made …” (Psalm 118:24) For some of us, this season of COVID has felt a bit like the movie Groundhog Day. Have you seen it? In the movie, Bill Murray plays a cynical TV weatherman who finds himself reliving the same day, over and over again, when he goes on location to Punxsutawney to report about their annual Groundhog Day. His predicament just about drives him crazy until he sees a different way of looking at it. Is that what the psalmist meant when he wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice...
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 I watched a scene on the news recently that made me wince; the reporter was standing there with no one within hundreds of yards, yet he had a face mask on. Even the cameraman was a dozen yards away with a long microphone “boom” bridging the space between them. I could barely understand his words. It felt iconic of the moment, as he stood there isolated, and of the space opening...
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) We’ve enjoyed a wonderful summer with a steady stream of family and friends coming through our state. Many of them put their hands and hearts to work projects at our home and throughout Montana, encouraging us along the way. In Hawaii they have a saying – “Lucky we live in Hawaii.” In Montana we should say, “Blessed we live in God’s country.” One of the topics that came up frequently with our guests throughout the summer was this – there are certain things that are simply har...
It was a day of fresh, untracked powder that I’ll never forget. Crested Butte had been hammered for several days with storms. My son John and I had driven over to the ski area to spend the night, not imagining we’d see 30 more inches of fresh powder fall as we slept. Rising early, we were the first up the lifts. We skied over to one of my favorite runs, only to find a rope blocking access. Just then a ski patrol appeared and said, “This is your lucky day.” He pulled the rope down and said, “Have fun!” We nearly disappeared into the waist deep...
I went out on an icy walk last week. And as I slid around the corner of a meadow, I had a flashback: THIS, HERE was the rock I sat upon, about six months ago, to watch the sun rise on the longest day, the solstice. I felt a bit nostalgic. Those were the days! Looking back, it was easy to see God ‘within’ it all; rippling grasses in the meadow, wildflowers painting the landscape, birds orchestrating their summer sounds. What’s not to love? But now, here, in the gloom and the cold and the ice? Are THESE the days, too? Surely the psalmist wasn...
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) My wife and I are privileged to travel a lot and have been fortunate enough to serve on the African continent over a dozen times. Occasionally I hear stories from people about their fear of surrendering their will to God because, “God might send me to Africa or something!” But as we grow to know God more and trust in His character, it’s not a fearful thing to say, “Here am I Lord, send me!” He is a God who i...
“He got up, and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:39) I don’t know what’s more impressive: Jesus calming the storm or him simply being able to sleep through it, on the deck of a small boat, upon Lake Galilee. I just returned from Africa, riding in planes for more than 30 hours. I’ve never been able to sleep much in a car or in a plane, let alone on a boat in a storm. But there’s Jesus, dead to the world, within the storm. Perhaps he was too exhausted to worry....
My wife and I love our walks in Montana. We get out every day if possible, even if that means snowshoes. It has become as much a spiritual exercise as it is physical. It is becoming, more and more, a prayer walk. I wonder what it would be like to ‘walk with’ God. It’s a recurring theme in the Bible, all the way back to Genesis 3:8. Despite the disconnect between us and God, we read that Enoch, Noah and Abraham all did just that, all walked with God. Just yesterday, I walked with my wife. She’s not God but she’s godly, wise and soulful....
Recently I was watching the movie “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise. In the movie, Cruise’s character finds himself among the Samurai, training in their ancient warfare practices. At one point he states, “I have never seen such discipline.” In the scene that follows, Cruise is shown training but is struggling to learn the ancient art. A young man runs out to him after he is knocked to the ground by his opponent, telling Cruise, “Too many minds!” Cruise is puzzled by this statement so the young man explains that he is thinking of t...
